Process for employing gases having a low boiling temperature in heat-engines.



K. A. B. BRKUER. PROCESS FOR EMPLOYING GASES HAVING A LOW BOILING TEMPERATURE IN HEAT ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 18, 1911. 1,025,856. Patented May 7, 1912.

' I Ewell/I01? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. L.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KURT AUGUST BRUNO BRAUER, OF MITTWE-IDA, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR EMPLOYING GASES HAVING A LOW BOILING TEMPERATURE IN HEAT- ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KURT AUoUs'r BRUNO BRllnnR, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Mittweida, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Processes for Employing Gases HavingaLow Boiling Temperature in Heat-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

In many stationary plants and in all vehicles one meets with the requirements to construct engines having an as great as possible capacity for a given amount of space and a given weight. Besides a great value is always attached to the economy of the working of the plant, which economy is of still greater importance in vehicles by reason of the weight of the driving means which one has to carry for a given radius of action. It is furthermore sometimes important to work engines for a short or longer space of time out of the contact with the outer air. In order to attain this result cold vapor engines have been constructed, these engines however fulfil their object only in a very imperfect manner because until now one has not yet succeeded in constructing an economically working condenser.

The present invention relates to a process to be described hereafter in which cold vapors are condensed in a condenser after having done external work in an engine.

The process will now be explained by the aid of an example and by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein the figure is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for carrying out my improved process, the vaporizer b and. superheater 0 being in section,

The energy carrier for instance carbonic acid which may be preheated in an apparatus a (see Fig. 1) heated by the waste heat, is vaporized in a. boiler Z), which may be heated in the well known manner by means of the natural heat of water. In order to prevent the formation of ice in the vaporizer and the clogging of the latter, one may employ an intermediate heat carrier having a lower freezing point than water. The saturated vapor formed which may be over heated in a tubular apparatus 0 provided with a special furnace, expands in a heat engine while doing work, the temperature of the vapor decreasing according to the degree of expansion. As in the case of a con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 18, 1911.

Patented May '7, 1912.

Serial No. 609,321.

siderable overheating the temperature of the waste vapor is higher than the temperature of the saturated fresh vapor, a regeneration may take place and the exhaust vapor may be cooled down to nearly the temperature of the condenser. The exhaust vapor arriving in the condenser through the pipe 6 is precipitated'in the condenser by means of solid carbonic acid the temperature of which is lower than the saturation temperature, the solid carbonic acid being obtained by the ex pansion of liquid carbonic acid in the nozzle f which is connected with the vaporizer b. The cooling which is associated with this phenomenon produces, at least in the present instance, the transformation of the cooling medium into the solid state. The line, loose snow of carbonic acid is whirled about in the condenser 70 thereby coming into close contact with the vapor to be condensed which in this manner is deprived of its vaporizing heat. The snow melts and the vapor is liquefied.

In the place of the mixing condenser described above one may also employ a surface condenser.

The entire liquid is again introduced by means of a feed pump into the vaporizer or the preheater, the part of liquid which serves as a cooling means, after having been compressed to the pressure of the vaporizer, again flows to the condenser nozzle while the remaining part again passes through the working cycle described above, forming the energy carrier proper.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A process foremploying substances having a low boiling temperature as a driving means in heat engines consisting in precipitating the exhaust vapor in the condenser by means of a substance brought by expansion to a low temperature and pushing the expansion so far that the cold carrier becomes solid, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A process for employing substances having a low boiling temperature as a driving means in a heat engine, consisting in discharging the exhaust vapor from the engine into a condenser and simultaneously precipitating said Vapor by means of a substance expanding Within the condenser and thereby brought to a loW temperature, and carrying said expansion so far that the cold carrier has a flaky form as it passes into the condenser.

3. A process for employing carbolic acid as a driving means in a heat engine, consisting in precipitating the exhaust vapor of the heat engine in the condenser by means of carbonic acid brought to a lOW temperature by expanding the said carbonic acid in the condenser and carrying the expansion sufliclently far that the carbonic acid becomes solid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

